1940 LaSalle Series 50

The LaSalle Company operated from 1927 through 1940 and was a companion marque to Cadillac. Like Cadillac, which was named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the LaSalle brand name was based on that of another French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. The LaSalle filled a gap in General Motors' marketing segmentation strategy, priced above Buicks but less than Cadillacs.

LaSalle's vehicles were initially built by Cadillac, equipped with a 303 cubic-inch V8 engine, and built to the same standards as Cadillac. Their Harley Earl-designed appearance was later adapted to the new 341 Series Cadillac introduced in 1928. Sales were initially strong, exceeding Cadillac's since 1933, but as the Great Depression deepened, sales declined. When the economy began to recover in the mid-1930s, LaSalle sales did not - at least in comparison to other medium-priced models such as the newly introduced Packard One-Twenty, which had consistently outsold the LaSalle by an average of seventy-two percent from 1935 through 1940. Since Cadillac was an established brand, with known prestige and craftsmanship, and LaSalle sales had encroached into those of Cadillacs, General Motors made the decision to eliminate LaSalle.

The LaSalle received all-new styling for 1934, introducing a tall, narrow grille that would become a hallmark of LaSalle cars for the remainder of their production. During Several years of the mid-1930s, the LaSalle used Oldsmobile-sourced straight eights, but this changed in 1937 with the return to Cadillac's V8 engine and would continue through 1940. The 322 cubic-inch V8 delivered 130 brake horsepower, while the 1940 Cadillac used a 346 cubic-inch V-8 with 135 horsepower. The LaSalle rested on a 123-inch wheelbase platform with unique headlights blended into nacelles in the front fender catwalks, rounded fenders, three chrome hood side vents, and bullet-style taillights. Running boards had lost their appeal by the start of the 1940s, and several companies introduced new designs which did away with them completely. The 1940 LaSalles continued to use running boards, but they had almost disappeared.

LaSalle models for 1940 included the Series 50 (40-50) and the Series 52 (40-52). The Series 50 wore the slab-sided bodies of the 1939 model year, while the higher-priced Series 52 Special line wore ultra-modern 'torpedo body' designs that were wider and lower with sloping windshield, curved rear window, and smoother body lines.

The 322 CID eight-cylinder engine was backed by a three-speed selective synchromesh transmission with a single disc clutch and column controls. Hydraulic brakes on all wheels provided the stopping power.

LaSalle produced 10,382 examples of the Series 40-50 and 13,751 of the Series 40-52. Bodystyles on the Series 40-50 included a coupe, convertible coupe, 2- and 4-door touring sedan, and a convertible sedan with prices that ranged from $1,240 to $1,800. Series 40-52 body styles included a coupe, touring sedan, convertible sedan, and convertible coupe with prices of $1,380 to $1,900.

The LaSalle and Cadillac models had grown very similar by 1940, the last year of LaSalle production, and the LaSalle represented amazing value, selling for much less than their more prestigious sibling, with the 40-50 convertible coupe almost 30% less than Cadillac's Series 62 convertible. Despite the production of over 24,000 LaSalles in 1940, it was to be the marque's last year.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2021